Wednesday, 14 November 2012

My first cousin Janet from Bristol U.K. and her good partner Steve are again in this neck of the woods.

They visit their time shares at Treasure Island, FL and Longboat Key FL each year. So we always get together a couple of times when they are here. This means that I have enjoyed Janet and Steve's company for at least fourteen times since I retired to S.W. FL - more times than I had been with them in "so many" years prior to 2006.

That's good.

We hooked up today at the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Airport for a joy ride in a four seater Cessna which is owned by a young Norwegian named Patrick who runs a business called http://www.flightexcursions.com/

(My brother Martyn, his son Sam, and Sam's pal Toby took a flight with Patrick when they were here in September.)

Our joy ride today took us north west from the airport to Clearwater. Then we flew south over the Gulf of Mexico, with Indian Rocks Beach, the Redington beaches, Madeira Beach, and Treasure Island to our east.

Crossing Tampa Bay we flew to the west of Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach and Longboat Key..

We made a U turn down by St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota, and then flow northish, with Longboat Key Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria Island to our east.

Crossing Anna Maria Island led us due north across the wonderful Sunshine Skyway Bridge and downtown St. Petersburg and then back to the airport.

Janet, Steve and I had a fabulous trip. We agreed that Patrick is a fine pilot, and that he is very professional. (He is aged 25). And we were glad for his recommendation of the Bascom's Chop House on Ulmerton Ave in Pinnelas Park FL where we had a lovely lunch.

Steve, Janet and jmp

Patrick our Pilot and jmp

Patrick, our pilot hails from Norway. I printed a Norwegian flag and taped it to my cap. He was dutifully amused.

Patrick, jmp, and Patrick's Cessna

Over St. Petersburg FL

St. Petersburg, FL looking at the Albert Whittle airstrip. It's next to the Salvador Dali Museum. My Cambridge friend Mary C and her mother Sally C (who lives in Redington Beach) visited the Dali, and then enjoyed lunch at a restaurant at the Whittle airstrip.

Heading north t'wards St. Petersburg

Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay. (We locals are "crazy" about this Bridge)

Undeveloped (thank goodness) land between Anna Maria Island and the mainland.

Manatee Ave bridge, linking Anna Maria Island to the mainland.

Patrick (the pilot) with my cousin Janet and her partner Steve

Patrick recommenced Bascom's Chop House on Ulmerton Ave. in Pinellas Park) for our our post flight lunch. His advice was wise. There I enjoyed a fabulous grouper sandwich and salad.

It stumbled to an end on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. There were no victors.

There was simply the armistice agreed upon by exhausted countries.

It was an utterly unnecessary war, fueled only by the testosterone enriched energies of Kings, Emperors, Generals and Admirals.

It signaled the end of the Austrian/Hungarian Empire, the Russian Empire and the German hopes for Empire.

It triggered the eventual demise of the Ottoman Empire, the French Empire and the British Empire.

A weakened Russia was ripe for revolution, and the Bolsheviks won.

A humiliated Germany was fertile ground for the seizure of power by the National Socialist party.

“A war to end all wars”: what a joke. Within twenty years Europe was at war again – and the later entry of Japan and the United States of America signaled the beginning of a truly World-wide war.

That war being concluded in Europe led to the Russian domination of Eastern Europe and the ghastly U.S.S.R. (However Hitler would not have been defeated sans the Russian Army, a fact which we love to ignore).

It also led to the “Cold War” and the dreadful militarization of these United States and our emergence as a war-loving country.

That war being concluded in the Far East, and the Japanese Empire being defeated, the Chinese Maoists had more or less free rein to continue their revolution, with disastrous results.
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11th November was at one time known as Armistice Day.

In the United States it becameVeterans Day.

In Britain and some countries of the Commonwealth it is Remembrance Day.

In those countries citizens often wear a poppy emblem round about Remembrance Day. The sales of these poppies raise money for ex-servicemen and women.(For the origin of the poppy emblem look up the poem “In Flanders Fields”).

I was in our local British goods store on Friday and noticed that they had poppy emblems for sale.

I bought one and wore it to the Sarasota opera last evening.

There were many children present because it was the world premiere of a new youth opera – the cast of which included over 100 children aged 8 – 18.

One young lad said “I like your carnation”. His Mom told him that it was a poppy, and I told him why I was wearing it. I explained that what he calls “Veteran’s Day” is called “Remembrance Day” in some other countries.

Even though the ceremonies in the U.K. and in some Commonwealth nations concentrate on the military dead I prefer the possibilities of the name “Remembrance Day”.

It is a day to remember not only the war dead:

but also the cities, towns and villages which were obliterated;

the hopes that were destroyed; the women who were bereft; the children who were left fatherless (and in these days sometimes motherless);

the millions upon millions of civilians who starved to death.

Etc.etc

It is a day to remember that we humans who dominate and plunder at will are fundamentally stupid, and that far from evolving we are merely clever and sinister animals.
It is a day to proclaim that “War is not the answer”.

Wearing a poppy on my way to the Opera. Excuse this dreadful self-taken photo'.

I always fly "Old Glory" on national holidays. My dissidence is deeply patriotic.

Bumper Sticker on a car at Sarasota's Quaker Meeting which I attended this morning.

About Me

I am from a blue collar background in Bristol, England, and was educated in the days of the 11+ system.
I am one of nine children. My eight siblings live in England.
After school I was first a banker; then a seminarian; then an Episcopal Priest.
I trained for ordained ministry at St. John's College, Nottingham, U.K; and the University of Nottingham from which I was graduated with the degree Bachelor in Theology.
I had 30 years of parish ministry in Massachusetts. (Fitchburg, Chicopee, Pittsfield and Cambridge).
Now retired, I live in Sarasota, FL.
My mantra: - "There is no secular world".